Defending Florida's Ecosystems & Communities

ERTP Reasonable and Prudent Alternative

In July 2016, the Corps and FWS complete their reinitiation of consultation on how C&SF Project operations affect several endangered and threatened species and agree on a reasonable and prudent alternative to ERTP in response to multiple factors: 1) the 2012 ERTP Biological Opinion was expiring; 2) one of the reconsultation triggers in the 2012 Biological Opinion had been surpassed in 2014, triggering the need to re-initiate ESA consultation; and 3) a pending challenge by environmental groups to the 2012 Biological Opinion. The revised operations, which include a suite of changes to better protect Cape Sable seaside sparrows in subpopulation A, which live west of northeast Shark River Slough, are to implemented in ongoing processes to revise operations as part of the long-running Mod-Waters Project.